Birds

I sneak up on birds.
And I love them.
I do.
And I especially seem to like very common birds.
Sparrows, seagulls, pigeons especially.
The thing about birds that I like is that a) they're cute and b) they seem to like people, or being fed, which makes them kind of friendly, but c) mostly the thing I like about them is that they're a little flying piece of nature in the city...and that can make a city just a little bit better.
Kind of more like the country.

They poo. A lot. I know that. But other than that small issue I think they're beautiful.

Ok, this is starting to get a bit like a session of Dr Phil, but it's true.
I LIKE SNEAKING UP ON PIGEONS.
There. I said it.

Cute, puffy pigeon sitting in the seating area beside parliament in Wellington...you are my sweet shot!

Mothers

Bless.
I have been sooooo busy this last week that I didn't have a moment to update my blog.
Did anyone notice?
Yes.
My mother.
After about five days I got an email from Gisborne Mother Central ...

'Helloooo, just checking you're still alive ... haven't noticed a new sweetshot all week...'


This is modern motherhood, and proof that even when you're all grown up a kind touch of the keystroke is only a nano-fibre-optic-wave-length away...

Pic of my mum with my uber cute nephew Jeremy Charles Brown

So for a quick catch up, I've been super busy with weddings photos, lighting courses, portrait shoots, sports photos and more sports photos coming up ... and of note, for all those Wellington girls who think this place is in a man drought there's something coming up just for you ....'Men in the City'.
Yes, 30 guys are being ruthlessly auctioned off by event company Evention and radio station ZM90.9 to raise money for autism research this coming Saturday week...my buddy Brook is organising it and it should be a hoot. I'll be the one behind the camera! See you there!

Sweet shot!

Are you a T-Shirt Connsoisseur or do you know someone who is?

(Did you know when you click on these images you can then press control or apple + or - to make him bigger or smaller in your browser...so handy!)

I like tshirts a lot.

I especially like rare tshirts that other people don't have.

To share in my slight obsession I've created this very special tshirt '3D Man', and made them available to you guys so you can share in the tshirt love.

There's only 50 of these in the world and they normally cost NZ$70.00 each .... BUT if you're a member of my facebook page (you can become one by clicking here and then pressing 'become a fan') you get the super special deal of $30 off - which makes them only $40 bucks each.

Sweet!

The close off date for this deal is Oct 22.

To order, send the size, number you want, and if you want a men's or women's fit to this email:

Don't forget, Christmas is just around the corner, and this might be just what the doctor ordered for that tshirt-lover in your life.

Remember, there's only 50 of these babies created and each comes with it's own special limited edition copy number so don't miss out, once they're gone they gone.

Locally designed and printed here in sunny Wellington. Bless.

xx Cat

Swinging fun!

Hello Mr Alex Randall: new big brother and all round fabulous kid!

A swing, a cute wee boy, some lovely greenery and great natural light ... a perfect combo for taking photos!

Sweeeet shot!

Bex is best

This one goes out to the one I love.
My hairdresser.


Bex Fennessy is the coolest person I know.

Not just because she flies down from Auckland every 5 weeks or so to cut the lucky duckies on her special lucky ducky hair cutting list in Wellington, at the most fabulous salon location in the world....ie a Moa Point beach house's front sunroom where you sit with no mirror, just a view out to the Southern Alps across the Cook Strait to stare at while she snips away ... , but because she doesn't REALISE just how cool she is.
Bex is completely fearless and makes choices based on what feels right and what makes her happy.
Tick in the cool box.
She also says things like; (and I'll put this in some context, her current day job is as hair and makeup artist on a new show aimed at American audiences and not on air yet called Spartacus which is Lucy Lawless and John Hannah's (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Coldcase etc) latest project)
...just had to fill that bit in. Right, she says things like;
'I've got this new animal print jacket and I was at work the other day and John (Hannah) said 'I saw you in Ponsonby with that cool jacket', and I was like. Yay, somebody likes my jacket.
I looove my jacket.'

I was thinking, errr, yeah the jacket, I'm sure it's great but HELLO you're hanging out with John Hannah and he's star spotting you, and you're not even realising how cool that makes you.
That gets a tick too. Tick.

She is also the best hairdresser. In the world. Seriously. TICK.
Thanks Bex, you're the best....and you're my sweet shot!

Bex isn't a big fan of posed photos but I made her do this one.

Bex in her favourite barber shop chair and my and Ali's hair on the ground.

Winners... plus how to look pretty, save lots of coin and get cool stuff in the post ... mmmm

Congratulations to T-shirt competition winners Fiona Shrapnell and Paul Vance who will be soon be kitted out in their very own '3D Man' limited edition CBP design printed tops worth NZ$70.00 each.
Mmmmm nice.
It's always good to win stuff.
Paul and Fiona were super stoked about being the winners and I am super stoked to be able to send them out the Ts.
I think the tshirts are pretty nice, and they're100% locally designed and printed in Wellington NZ which makes me feel fuzzy and warm on the inside.

But what about everyone else!?!

Well, never fear there is something special for you too!
Because of popular demand I will be extending the run of '3D Man' tshirts to 50 (that's 50 only ever ever ever to exist in the world and then there's no more printed !) - each with there own limited edition print number - and for Cat Shack crew members (that's members of the Cat Brown Photography facebook page) you can order one of these rare shirts for only $40 each, giving you a big fat $30 bucks saving, and you can spend that money on something else and not feel guilty because it's kinda like free money.

This offer is only open until 22 October so you need to order kind of quick smartish so you don't miss out.

How do I order?
Well, firstly to get the special deal you need to belong here (when you get there click 'become a fan')
Then just flick me an email with your name, dets and how many you want and what sizes and I'll send you the account details to pay and then once you've done that it will be posted to you.
Don't you love getting stuff in the mail!

This is exactly what the 3D man Tshirt looks like if you have bendy arms.

There's only going to be 50 of these babies in the world...with the first 2 already gone ... shivers only 48 to go...

Order now

Salt and Pepper

Liz and Jodi are two designers I used to work with at Learning Media in Wellington, and who I nicknamed salt and pepper because they are inseparable and taste nice on food. Ok, I'm not sure about that last bit, but they certainly are inseparable, they do everything together and even finish each others sentences.

No, really.

It's Pepper's birthday today so Lizzy loo these pics are for you!

Liz Pepper (left) and Jodi Salt (right)...

What were you guys laughing about again...?

Win win win a super exclusive cool tshirt - but be in quick, you need to get in before Oct 13!

All you gotta do is click here and then become a fan (or other air-conditioning unit ... I know it's an old joke!) here before October 13 and you're in the draw.
Simple huh.

Wet feet, fishy treats and hidden treasure

So there I was all snuggly and warm in my little photo studio when I received the emergency call:

Ali had walked to work in the rain and got wet feet.

I looked out of the window at the horizontal storm that was buffeting Wellington and did what all good partners do; packed up some dry fluffy socks and new shoes ready for the drop off mission, although to be honest I didn't feel at ALL like going out into the storm!

Fifteen minutes later I was in town and Ali's feet were freshly ensconced in their new safe and warm surroundings (aka dry socks and shoes) ... and here I am now in town, having REALLY had no intention of even leaving the studio on this miserable day ... so I decided to walk around to my fav local sushi bar to pick up some lunch before I went back home as a kind of treat to myself for doing my good dead.

Here, 2 things happened: I took what turned out to be my sweet shot of the day...

(click on the pic, it looks much better nice and big) ... and then secondly, for the first time ever, I went to somewhere which I just know is going to turn into one of my favourite Wellington photo destinations!

So, here I was post sushi and having taken this photo I wanted to print it out straight away. Usually I have my regular places that I think do good printing in Wellington, but today I couldn't be bothered walking even a block in the rain, so I looked directly across the road from the sushi joint and saw the most fabulous thing.

A photo lab and coffee house all in one.

Photoespresso (down the Embassy end of Courtney Place) is somewhere I've never been into before. I had seen it but had kind of turned my nose up to be honest because it all seemed too commercial and mainstream ... but hey, today was raining and really I was feeling a bit impatient. So I went in and - oh my god! I'm in love!

Fabulous service, nice prints and HELLO fabulous coffee! It was almost too good to be true!

The guy serving the coffee said it was pretty quiet that day - but for me that was great because I got everything I wanted in about 10 minutes, not to mention enjoyed playing with their little printy machines sipping a decent coffee and chatting to the staff who were super nice.

So, anyway, just wanted to mention that.

If you need good prints pretty quickly and good coffee too I'd recommend the place.

Yay for Friday, have a great weekend :)

super freeze

All I'm saying is that the rest is yet to come!
This is a still from a wee movie I'm making for the mighty Wellington United Clash footy team for their end of year do...I can't say much more as it's top secret...but watch this space!

Sweeeeeeeeet shot!

It's Wednesday...

...and it should be Tuesday if my a 'sweet shot everyday' catch-cry is to be believed.
Whoops - that's right, I missed yesterday dang it!
I've been so busy (busier than a little beaver (marlies that joke's for you!)) the last few days, editing photos from various jobs, and my poor little sweet shot blog has fallen behind!
But, to make it up to you I've got some great news!
I'm about to run a fabulous competition which is going to be super easy to enter...and the prize will be a very cool limited edition designer cat brown photography tshirt.
That's right...not a shitty tshirt, a cool tshirt....ie you will want to wear it out rather than sleep in it.
So watch out.
You'll need to be part of the facebook cat shack crew to enter, but that's as easy as clickity click and you're done.
The information about the competition is coming up very soon...

And...here's today's sweet shot!
Downtown brown at Parliament city

Chrissy and Marlies

You know that U2 song with or without you? I think that was written for my two friends Chrissy and Marlies.
The two have been, in varying degrees, work-mates, best-mates, soul-mates and polar opposites for the last number of years.
Of all the pictures I have seen or taken of them, this is the most perfect in its description of their relationship as I know it. Together and apart, going in different directions but completely symmetric, rough and smooth, city and country, yin and yang...and always joined at the hip!

Come on in and welcome to my new shack

Today has been busy busy preparing for a wedding shoot tomorrow, but besides that work, I have had the fun of of two good friends Marlies and Chrissy staying - which is fabulous!
I've also got a new special page on facebook which I'd love to come and check out and tell me what you think ... and if you like it please click to join so that you've got another way to see photos which I don't put here on the sweet shot!
So today's sweetshot ...

I think the irony of a paparazzi hand up at a photo exhibition is just too hard to pass by... Jess Maccagno put that hand down!

New watermark

I wanted to show you my new watermark/logo, and what better way than with a beautiful East Coast water view...
I'll be updating my website with it soon...along with the entire site courtesy of my new favourite place Photoshelter.
In the meantime enjoy the lovely Tokomaru Bay wharf vista...('you know what I did last summer'....kind of like the film but less scary and more sand in your sandwiches).